The art of winemaking is closely aligned with the craft of artistic expression. Wineries worldwide are featuring curated exhibitions as visitors are transported beyond the wine glass to appreciate visual art. Where taste is defined as a 'palate to pallete journey', Wise Traveller offers a bouquet of the best experiences globally.
Denbies Wine Estate, Surrey, UK
As one of the largest single estate vineyards in England, Denbies stands majestically in a 380-acre estate, of which 265 acres are dedicated to vines.
It's not only one of the most successful wineries in England, but has long supported the art community, having opened a fully purpose-built exhibition space since 2002. The space, which predominantly supports local artists and photographers, has welcomed thousands of visitors since its launch. View upcoming exhibitions here.
Larkmead Vineyards, Calistoga, California
As an extension to the 115-acre Larkmead Vineries, one of the oldest family-owned wineries in Napa Valley, the winery unveiled a new art installation in October 2024.
The first exhibition was launched by the estate's proprietor and lauded artist Kate Solari Baker with a series of archival prints spanning decades from her series of chalk pastels titled "Noxious Weeds and Roadside Grasses." Each piece depicts a well-known Napa Valley plant such as rabbitsfoot grass, Queen Anne's lace, and teasels, and reflects on her family's reverence for the beauty of Napa Valley and the Larkmead estate.
"I grew up surrounded by the breathtaking splendor of Napa Valley and the wildness of my family's vineyard, and those landscapes have always inspired me," Solari Baker said: "This collection brings to light the hidden pieces of our ecosystem that are so integral to a thriving balance of plant and animal life."
Selections from Solari Baker's new installation will also grace the labels of future wine releases from the estate's respected Research Block, a three-acre vineyard planted to explore how different grape varieties grow in shifting climate conditions. The 2023 Estate Chenin Blanc showcased the artwork inspired by the beauty of the estate. The gallery encapsulates the fragile connection between wine, art, and nature.
Enate, Huesca, Spain
A winery at the foot of the Pyrenees, on the Spanish and French border, Enate began a contemporary art collection with works in 1992 from both national and international artists. And since then, each one of their wines has been associated with a prestigious artist, with Antonio Saura being the first.
With more than 400 originals, its private collection has become one of the most important contemporary art galleries in Spain, unique for the direct connection between art and Enate wines.
Names such as Antoni Tapiés, Eduardo Chillida, Rafael Canogar, Antonio Saura, José Manuel Broto, Víctor Mira, Pepe Cerdá, Salvador Victoria, Gustavo Torner, Federic Amat and Eduardo Arroyo are among many artists who have collaborated with Enate.
Wonderground Gallery and Mirus Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Australia
Wonderground is an art Gallery, vineyard, cellar door and sanctuary covering 80 acres on the Barossa Valley's Western Ridge, South Australia. Located around an hour's drive northeast of Adelaide, the estate was launched by Nick Radford, Kirsty Kingsley, Luke Edwards and Renee de Saxe, two viticulturalists and two artists.
Kirsty and Renee were initially looking for an art gallery space in the Barossa when the property came up for sale. Standing on the point, atop a rocky outcrop near the "Block 21 - Ridge Shiraz", looking north towards Marananga, both the artists and the viticulturalists knew this was the point of no return. The two families came together to interweave art and creative practice into the craft of winemaking.
The Wonderground Gallery has been reimagined as a regional art space, with five light-drenched rooms displaying up to 100 artworks from local and interstate artists, on a seven-week turnaround.
Château La Coste, Aix-en-Provence, France
Art, wine and sculpture are taken to new heights at the sprawling Château La Coste, situated in the heart of Provence, in the South of France. The estate not only includes a 600-acre sculpture park, but also features an organic winery, an art gallery, a luxury hotel and restaurants. It has also recently opened Auberge La Coste, a new 76-room retreat.
Just 20 minutes from Aix-en-Provence and an hour from Marseille, the estate's sculpture park features art and architecture from such luminaries as Bob Dylan, Tadao Ando, Andy Goldsworthy, Paul Matisse, Oscar Niemeyer and Lee Ufan.
This summer, the internationally acclaimed designer Paul Mathieu returns after a seven-year absence with Pure, a stand-alone show of Plasterglass works created at Ralph Pucci's New York studio by leading artists and designers. It will feature eight pieces from Mathieu's award-winning collections, installed within the Oscar Niemeyer-designed exhibition space.
Also, through to September, Château La Coste, which property magnate Paddy McKillen owns, will present a solo exhibition by Korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun, a major figure in the Dansaekhwa movement that emerged in Korea in the 1970s. Entitled Light Into Color, the exhibition looks back on more than fifty years of research into materials, light, and the pictorial gesture.
Andy Probert is an independent journalist who writes about global travel news, airlines, airports, and business. His work has appeared globally on the BBC, and in many national newspapers and magazines.
